Thanks, Andrew
P.S. Please don't laugh but what's a joist?
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I am extremely new to the world of do-it-yourself and I'm having a hard time finding any relavent information regarding the proper installation of a sub floor. The floor I'm looking to replace isn't even in some spots (I'm assuming thats due to the sub-floor) and I'm dealing with carpet with tile underneath. I'm looking to replace the whole floor with laminate but I'd like to do the sub floor myself. Does anyone out there know where I can find some sub floor diagrams or directions which might help put me in the right directions.
I'm not laughing (or I'm at least trying not to :-), but if you do not know what a joist is and are "new to the world of do-it-yourself," then perhaps you might want to avoid making this project be the first home improvement project you tackle. The reason it is difficult to find information on laying a sub-floor is because it is a serious task with many structural implications that you might overlook as a weekend-warrior, especially if you are tampering with a second-story subfloor.
Instead of replacing the sub-floor, Home Depot, L-O-W-E-S, and other building supply houses carry leveling cement compounds that you can pour on top of a crooked subfloor to level it out. It is a powder you mix into a soupy liquid; gravity does the work of leveling the floor. However, do not assume that the subfloor is crooked merely because the floor is crooked: the floor, itself, might have given out over the years.
A joist is the supporting beam (often 10-12 inches tall and 2 inches wide) that extends from one side of the room to the other to hold the subfloor up.
[This message has been edited by Lawrence (edited October 29, 2002).]
